News Details

Fiscal Year 2019 budget signed into law

6/4/2018

On June 4, Governor Bruce Rauner signed into law a $38.5 billion bipartisan compromise budget that holds the line on taxes, increases funding for education, curbs spending, and creates a new adoption tax credit that will make it less costly for Illinois parents to adopt children.

“I commend Governor Rauner for his leadership in helping get us a budget we can balance,” said Senate Republican Leader Bill Brady.

“For the first time in years, we have an opportunity to manage our way into balance, and we don’t have to dip into the pockets of overtaxed Illinoisans to do it,” Rauner said. “Balance is in reach because we were able to accomplish $445 million of pension reform and the economy is stronger thanks to federal tax reform, and we are benefiting from an unexpected boost in tax receipts.”

“I’m signing this legislation because it is a step in the right direction, but it

is not perfect,” he said. “We have a lot of work to do before we fully restore the state’s fiscal integrity. We still need to enact reforms that bring down the cost of government, make the state friendlier to job creators, and ignite our state economy so it grows faster than government spending.”

"This budget cuts more than a billion dollars in spending while investing in critical components of Illinois future, like: K-12 and higher education,” said Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet). “While more work remains to put Illinois on a path to true fiscal health, a balanced budget with no more tax hikes is a good start."

The General Assembly adopted many of the Governor’s key agenda items. He listed some of them during a press conference attended by legislative leaders, sponsors and budget neg

otiators.

Blocked New Spending. Rauner and the Republican leaders staved off $1 billion in spending increases by aggressively managing agency budgets and tabling $500 million in spending increase proposals. That’s a billion and a half dollars in much-needed spending restraint.

Education Funding. The budget fully funds the new evidence-based formula the administration introduced in 2015 and signed into law last summer. There’s $350 million in new K-12 dollars, which is up $1.4 billion since 2015, and $50 million for Early Childhood Education, which is up $200 million since 2015. AIM HIGH scholarships get $50 million to encourage Illinois high grads to attend Illinois universities. The MAP grant program is funded for four years. Colleges get $25 million of new money and the tuition tax credit program stays intact.

Pension Reform. The legislature addressed pension costs by making some modest reforms that will reduce long-term liabilities and save $445 million this year.

Adoption Tax Credit. Rauner said he was “particularly proud” of the work on his measure to create tax credits to encourage more adoptions by Illinois parents. Parents who can provide stable, loving homes for needy children can qualify for tax credits up to $5000 per child.

Illinois Innovation Network. The budget gives the University of Illinois System $500 million to fund the Governor’s signature economic development program. The initial step is to get the Discovery Partners Institute up and running. DPI envisions a research and business public-private partnership that involves the entire Illinois university system and business innovators. U of I System estimates that the effort could spark $4 billion in annual invested capital for Illinois and create hundreds of thousands of jobs.

Quincy Veterans’ Home. There is $53 million in FY19 budget to get underway with the administration’s plan to construct a new veteran’s home in Quincy.

While hailing the advances, the Governor and legislators’ cautioned the budget would require aggressive bipartisan management to achieve balance.

Sen. Dale Righter (R-Mattoon) said, “Today is a good day for Illinois. This budget is a true, bipartisan effort that respects taxpayer dollars and sets Illinois on a better fiscal path. Illinois still must address the need to pass pro-growth, pro-jobs reforms that can fundamentally change Illinois' fiscal and economic future for the better."

“For too long, Illinois has been plagued with tax increases and out-of-balance budgets, which is why in the 15 years that I have served in the Illinois Senate I have never been able to support a budget until now,” said Sen. Pamela Althoff (R-McHenry). “This is by far the most responsible budget we’ve seen in quite some time. It’s amazing what can be accomplished with compromise and cooperation. However, it’s going to take a lot of hard work moving forward to ensure this budget stays balanced.”